How to Get Windows 10 on a Macbook

Windows On Macbook Air 10
How To Install Windows 10 On Macbook Pro For Free

To install Windows 10 (or Windows 7 or 8 for that matter) you will need at least 30 GB of free space on your startup drive and you'll need a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad to use with your computer.
If you are installing Windows 10 on a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista, or if you need to create installation media to install Windows 10 on a different PC, see Using the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) to install Windows 10 on a different PC section below.
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Click on the New button. In the Name field, type 'Windows 10' or whatever you'd like. Leave Type as Microsoft Windows. Click on the Version menu and select Windows 8.1 (64 bit). You should be able to use the default settings for the next several screens, assuming your base goal is to just poke around Windows 10 and see how it works. Install Windows on your Mac. Boot Camp is a utility that comes with your Mac and lets you switch between macOS and Windows. Download your copy of Windows 10, then let Boot Camp Assistant walk you through the installation steps for Intel-based Macs.

There are two main ways to install Windows 10 (or another non-Mac operating system) on a Macbook. Firstly, you can use Boot Camp to install Windows alongside macOS; that way you can choose which operating system to start when turning on or rebooting your Mac. Secondly, you can open a special app on macOS and run Windows inside that app. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article I will go over pros and cons of Boot Camp and popular virtualization software: Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox.

Option 1: Download Windows 10 on a Mac With BootCamp

Boot Camp comes with your Macbook for free, and it allows you to install Windows alongside macOS, so you can choose which of them to boot on startup. Mac’s Boot Camp Assistant will help you install Windows, partition the startup drive and install necessary drivers.

If you install Windows via Boot Camp, Windows will have all of your Macbook’s resources and can run programs with the maximum possible performance. That’s why dual-booting is ideal for running resource-intensive programs like video-editing software or high-end games.

On the other hand, only one operating system will be able to run at the same time, so you will have to reboot between them depending on which apps you need to run at the moment. Another possible drawback is fact that Windows and macOS use different file systems, and you will not be able to open Mac files on Windows or vice versa unless you install specific third-party drives for it. That is not a problem when using virtual machines.

Option 2: Run Windows 10 on a Macbook Without BootCamp, Using a Virtual Machine

Virtual machines allow you to install and open Windows 10 in a window on your Mac desktop. Windows will “think” it’s running on a real computer, when it is running inside an app. With virtual machines you run both macOS and Windows at the same time, which is handy if you want to open a single Windows program alongside your Mac applications. However, when you run a virtual machine, your computer’s resources are split between the two operating systems, so everything may run slower than usual.

Windows On Macbook Air 10

Install Windows 10 on a Mac With Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop is very intuitive and easy-to-use for regular computer users. The app will configure everything for you, even download Windows 10 or utilize the one you already downloaded via Boot Camp. You can open Windows in a separate window (including a full screen mode), or you can turn on Coherence mode. In Coherence mode the virtual machine will run in the background, while Windows programs can run alongside your Mac apps. You can even put Windows programs on your macOS desktop or pin them to Dock. Parallels Desktop allows you to copy and paste or drag and drop between Windows and macOS without any problems.

Parallels Desktop prices start at $79.99, however there is a free trial period available.

Get Windows 10 on a Mac With VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is another popular virtualization software for Macbooks. It is close to Parallels in terms of functionality and pricing, but VMware’s Fusion supports a larger number of operating systems than Parallels. On the other hand, Parallels is easier for beginners, and runs a little smoother. Otherwise, these two programs are approximately on the same level.

VMware Fusion offers a free trial period to its users, same as Parallels, so you may try both for free and decide which one you like better, before committing.

Can you install windows 10 on mac for free

Install Windows 10 a Mac Via VirtualBox

If you don’t plan to spend extra money on virtualization software, there’s always VirtualBox by Oracle. VirtualBox is a pretty decent free alternative to paid software if not slower, less polished and missing some handy functions. If you need to run some resource intensive Windows programs, VirtualBox might not be the best choice for you. VirtualBox also requires more technical knowledge than, for example, Parallels, as users need to tune some settings themselves when installing it. However, if you are a power user already or don’t mind doing a little more work, and you are not going to run latest Windows games or video-editing software, VirtualBox is a good (and free!) alternative.

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One of the best things about using a Mac is that you can have it all. Apple doesn’t make macOS available to other platforms, but Windows (and Linux, for that matter) is available as a download. With Boot Camp Assistant on Mac, you can load Windows onto your macOS machine and enjoy both platforms seamlessly. When it comes to apps and games, sometimes Windows is the only way to go!

Why install Windows on Mac

Many who choose to buy a Mac do so because they’re just not Windows fans. But, some apps just don’t run on macOS – or may be better on Windows. So you’ll definitely need to know how to install Windows on Mac.

It opens up a new realm of PC gaming, too. The games selection on macOS is limited; even with Apple Arcade, native PC gaming is still best on Windows.

Many professional apps are only available to Windows devices. This is especially true now that Apple has ended support for 32-bit apps. Many developers with Windows and macOS versions simply abandoned the macOS platform to focus on their Windows apps.

Luckily, most modern Macs can run Windows just fine. As you’ll see, even older Macs are very capable of running the latest version of Windows via Boot Camp.

How To Install Windows 10 On Macbook Pro For Free

How to Boot Camp a Mac: System requirements

Apple’s guidance on Windows 10 via Boot Camp is a bit fuzzy. Officially, it says these three devices support Windows 10 on Mac:

iMac (2012 model or later)
iMac Pro (any model)
Mac Pro (2013 or later)

You should also be running the latest version of macOS. Boot Camp comes pre-loaded on macOS, but if you don’t have it, download the Boot Camp Support Software here.

You can have as little as 64GB free storage space on your machine, though Apple says 128GB provides the best experience. To find out how much free storage space you have available on your Mac, select  > About This Mac from the menu bar. In the popup window, simply select “Storage” to see how much space you have available.

How to prepare your Mac for Windows install

The reason 128GB of free space is recommended is Boot Camp for Mac (or Mac Boot Camp, whatever you prefer) essentially divides your hard drive in two: one for Mac, one for Windows. Automatic Windows Updates require 64GB storage, so 128GB gives your Mac plenty of storage to operate.

Apple’s list of machines officially available for Boot Camp all came with 128GB storage as a standard. Again, any Mac with as little as 64GB free space will work, but performance will suffer once you start

Install Windows 10 On Macbook For Free